Easter Week!

It’s been an eventful week, but here are some highlights:

Last Saturday:

Stonehenge!

- Spent the day visiting STONEHENGE! So great! Not going to lie; it was smaller than I expected, but it was still really neat. Simon told us the newest theory for why it was built where it was…seriously crazy. And apparently the most recent stone to tip over fell in 1979, and it was felt 5 miles away! Crazy, for a 3000 year old stone structure!

Sunday night:

- Simon joined our food fam for poppy seed chicken dinner! It was great to have him over, and a fun, memorable time spent with the food fam!

Strawberry-Banana Pudding Time!

Wednesday night:

- Cookie-baking fiasco, after they all morphed into one and semi burned. (Me: Elisabeth….they’re beautiful!! You made something new and great! Chase: (shakes head at failed cookies)).

- Nail-painting party with anna and Elisabeth (it must be really hard to be a toe model…)

- Banana pudding and endless laughter with friends until wayyy too late.

Cathedrals in Coventry, England with Jesse and Melisa!

Thursday field trip to Coventry:

- Morning spent in cathedrals (we should be giving the tours by now!)

- A visit to IKEA! As amazing as ever. Thought we might not ever get out. :)

- Crazy bus driver, required worksheets to fill out (total flashback to 3^rd grade!), adventures with friends, and war museums. Made for a good day.

…and then Thursday night:

- 10pm paper-writing, distractions

- 11pm tea break

- 12am stretching party

- 2am tea break

- 3am paper editing

- 4am Simon Schama re-enactment in room 13 with Elisabeth…papers DONE!

Remains of the Old Cathedral in Coventry

Good Friday:

- A few friends and I attended a Fresh Expressions church service for Stations of the Cross. A great time of serious reflection on the death of Christ, and the enormity of his suffering and sacrifice. All too often, the reality of Christ’s death can be lost in the Joy of his resurrection, at least for me, so this was a wonderful time to meditate on what He did on the cross.

- Friday night, after dinner with friends at the house, we had a little service to read the Passion Narrative, sing some hymns, and pray together. It was awesome to have a time of worship with such great friends, and especially meaningful after studying the passion narrative in depth for my Luke-Acts class this semester!

EASTER! Christ is Risen!

- Today may have been one of the best Easters I’ve had. No Easter baskets hiding when I woke up, no jelly beans out in cute little egg-shaped bowls. Instead, we woke up early, and headed to the 8am Holy Communion service at St. Ebbes. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I was early to church! We were in fact not only early, but the first ones there. The service, while small, was very moving, as we read the Eucharist liturgy, prayed, and sang a parting chorus. The reality of Christ’s sacrifice, and the truth of the resurrection are the crux of our faith, and the fact that we have assurance in them is so amazing.

Some of the Easter crew at the Vines

- After church, we cycled home for a much anticipated Easter brunch. Between the muesli, eggs, baguettes, hot cross buns, yogurt, fruit, muffins…..and of course wonderful company, we had a great time preparing and enjoying the meal together. Char and I realised that we drank the whole pot of coffee between the two of us, and we all learned that Brits say “knives and forks” instead of “forks and knives,” and they shorten moustache to “tashe” instead of “stashe”…who knew?! Fabulous time. Wonderful friends. Amazing Saviour.

EGG DECORATING! with Laz, Liz, Ben, Abby, and Tom!

aren't they AWESOME?!

- This afternoon, we enjoyed one of my ALL TIME FAVOURITE traditions: dyeing Easter eggs! Seriously, I will never outgrow Easter eggs. Liz and I boiled them to Martha Stewart’s precise instructions, and then we called in the artists to help us out. We only had red, green, and black dye...so we had to get creative. They turned out great! 

Best egg? you decide...